# Acer negundo > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Acer_negundo > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Acer_negundo.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_negundo > Source revision: 1354642746 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Species of maple}} {{Redirect|Box elder|the box elder bug|Boisea trivittata{{!}}''Boisea trivittata''|other uses|Box Elder (disambiguation)}} {{Speciesbox | image = Acer negundo 44809168.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Barstow, M. |author2=Crowley, D. |author3=Rivers, M.C. |date=2017 |title=''Acer negundo'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T62940A3117065 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T62940A3117065.en |access-date=13 November 2021}} | genus = Acer | display_parents = 2 | parent = Acer ser. Negundo | species = negundo | authority = [L.](/source/Carl_Linnaeus) | range_map = Acer negundo range map.png | range_map_caption = Native range of ''Acer negundo'' | synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets=on| |''Acer californicum'' var. ''texanum'' Pax |''Acer fauriei'' H.Lév. & Vaniot |''Acer fraxinifolium'' Nutt. |''Acer fraxinifolium'' Raf. |''Acer lobatum'' Raf. |''Acer nuttallii'' (Nieuwl.) Lyon |''Acer trifoliatum'' Raf. |''Acer violaceum'' (Booth ex G.Kirchn.) Simonk. |''Negundo aceroides'' var. ''violaceum'' G. Kirchn. |''Negundo aceroides'' subsp. ''violaceus'' (Booth ex G. Kirchn.) W.A. Weber |''Negundo fraxinifolium'' var. ''crispum'' Loudon |''Negundo fraxinifolium'' var. ''violaceum'' Booth ex Loudon |''Negundo negundo'' (L.) H. Karst. |''Negundo texanum'' (Pax) Rydb. |''Rulac negundo'' (L.) Hitchc. }} | synonyms_ref = [https://wfoplantlist.org/taxon/wfo-0000514643-2025-06 World Flora Online Plant List] }} thumb|Female flowers thumb|Male flowers '''''Acer negundo''''', also known as the '''box elder''', '''boxelder maple''', '''Manitoba maple''' or '''ash-leaved maple''', is a species of [maple](/source/maple) native to [North America](/source/North_America) from Canada to [Honduras](/source/Honduras).{{Cite POWO|title=''Acer negundo'' L..|id=781412-1|access-date=2024-12-08|mode=cs1}} It is a fast-growing, short-lived tree with opposite, ash-like compound leaves. It is sometimes considered a weedy or [invasive species](/source/invasive_species), and has been [naturalized](/source/Naturalisation_(biology)) throughout much of the world, including [South America](/source/South_America), [Australia](/source/Australia), [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa), much of [Europe](/source/Europe), and parts of [Asia](/source/Asia).{{cite web |title=Acer negundo |url=https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/acer_negundo.htm |website=keyserver.lucidcentral.org |publisher=Weeds of Australia |access-date=4 December 2018}} ==Description== ''Acer negundo'' is a fast-growing and fairly short-lived [tree](/source/tree) that grows up to {{convert|10|-|25|m|round=5|abbr=off}} tall, with a trunk diameter of {{convert|30|-|50|cm|in|0|abbr=off}}, rarely up to {{convert|1|m|ftin|sp=us|abbr=on}} diameter. It often has several trunks and can form impenetrable thickets.van Gelderen, C.J. & van Gelderen, D.M. (1999). ''Maples for Gardens: A Color Encyclopedia''. The typical lifespan of box elder is 60 - 75 years. Under exceptionally favorable conditions, it may live to 100 years.CABI datasheet. Available at https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/2862 (accessed 04/10/2022) The shoots are green, often with a whitish to pink or violet [wax](/source/wax)y coating when young. Branches are smooth, somewhat brittle, and tend to retain a fresh green color rather than forming a [bark](/source/Bark_(botany)) of dead, protective tissue. The bark on its trunks is pale gray or light brown, deeply cleft into broad ridges, and scaly.{{cite book |last=Keeler |first=H. L. |title=Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them |url=https://archive.org/details/ournativetreesa02keelgoog |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |year=1900 |location=New York |pages=85–87 }} Unlike most other maples (which usually have [simple](/source/simple_leaf), [palmate](/source/palmate)ly [lobed](/source/lobed_leaf) [leaves](/source/leaf)), ''Acer negundo'' has [pinnate](/source/pinnate)ly [compound](/source/compound_leaf) leaves that usually have three to seven leaflets.{{Cite book |last1=Arno |first1=Stephen F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qDD4DwAAQBAJ |title=Northwest Trees: Identifying & Understanding the Region's Native Trees |last2=Hammerly |first2=Ramona P. |publisher=[Mountaineers Books](/source/Mountaineers_Books) |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-68051-329-5 |edition=field guide |location=Seattle |pages=261–262 |language=en |oclc=1141235469 |orig-date=1977}} Simple leaves are also occasionally present; technically, these are single-leaflet compound leaves. Although some other maples (such as ''[Acer griseum](/source/Acer_griseum)'', ''[Acer mandshuricum](/source/Acer_mandshuricum)'' and the closely related [''A. cissifolium''](/source/Acer_cissifolium)) have [trifoliate](/source/leaf_shape) leaves, only ''A. negundo'' regularly displays more than three leaflets. The leaflets are about {{convert|5|-|10|cm|in|0|sp=us|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|3|-|7|cm|in|frac=4|sp=us|abbr=on}} wide with slightly serrate margins. Leaves have a [translucent](/source/translucence) light green color and turn yellow in the [fall](/source/Autumn). The yellow-green [flower](/source/flower)s are small and appear in early spring, with staminate flowers in clusters on slender pedicels and pistillate flowers on drooping [raceme](/source/raceme)s {{convert|10|-|20|cm|in|0|sp=us|abbr=on}} long. The [fruit](/source/fruit) is a [schizocarp](/source/schizocarp) of two single-seeded, winged [samaras](/source/Samara_(fruit)) on drooping racemes. Each seed is slender, {{convert|1|-|2|cm|in|frac=4|sp=us|abbr=on}} long, with a {{convert|2|-|3|cm|in|frac=4|sp=us|abbr=on}} incurved wing; they drop in autumn or they may persist through winter. Seeds are usually both prolific and [fertile](/source/fertility). Unlike most other maples, ''A. negundo'' is fully [dioecious](/source/dioecious) and both a male and female tree are needed for reproduction to occur.Maeglin & Ohmann (1973), p. 359 The male and female flowers appear on separate plants,{{Cite web |title=Acer negundo |author= |work=Royal Horticultural Society |date= |access-date=14 October 2024 |url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/217/acer-negundo/details |quote=male and female flowers on separate plants }} with males featuring clusters that generally have four flowers together, while females appear as a [raceme](/source/raceme).{{Cite web |title=Acer negundo |author= |work=Van den Berk Nurseries |date= |access-date=14 October 2024 |url= https://www.vdberk.co.uk/trees/acer-negundo/ |quote=compact clusters of usually four flowers together. The female flowers appear in long pendent raceme }} Boxelder (Acer negudo) with young fruit - Flickr - Jay Sturner.jpg|Leaves and fruit 2014-10-11 12 48 07 Box Elder Maple foliage during autumn in Elko, Nevada.JPG|Autumn leaf color Acer negundo 31026528.jpg|Retained seeds in winter Acer negundo 2018-05-01 9940.jpg|Seedling Acer negundo 60052613.jpg|Sprawling, multi-stemmed growth form 2020 year. Herbarium. Acer negundo. img-010.jpg|Fruit ==Taxonomy== The Box elder is not in the Elder genus [Sambucus](/source/Sambucus) in the family [Adoxaceae](/source/Adoxaceae). A few botanists treat boxelder maple in its own distinct genus (''Negundo aceroides'') but this is not widely accepted.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} === Common names === Indicative of its familiarity to many people over a large geographic range, ''A. negundo'' has numerous common names. The names "box elder" and "boxelder maple" are based upon the similarity of its whitish wood to that of [boxwood](/source/Buxus) and the similarity of its [pinnate](/source/pinnate)ly compound leaves to those of some species of [elder](/source/Sambucus).{{cite web |title=DePauw Nature Park Field Guide to Trees |url=https://www.depauw.edu/files/resources/brochure---nature-park-trees.pdf |access-date=2018-05-24 |publisher=DePauw University |page=14}} Other common names are based upon this maple's similarity to [ash](/source/Fraxinus), its preferred environment, its sugary sap, a description of its leaves, its [binomial name](/source/binomial_name), and so on. These names include "Manitoba maple", "ash-leaf maple", "cut-leaved maple", "three-leaf maple", "ash maple", "sugar maple", "negundo maple", and "river maple".{{cite web |title=Windsor Plywood |url=http://www.windsorplywood.com/}} Some of the common names given in this reference are questionable, "stinking ash" and "black ash" typically refer to ''[Ptelea trifoliata](/source/Ptelea_trifoliata)'' and ''[Fraxinus nigra](/source/Fraxinus_nigra)'', respectively. This reference is retained as an example of the confusion which arises when plants such as ''A. negundo'' are discussed by other than their [scientific name](/source/scientific_name)s. Names vary regionally. Box elder, boxelder maple, ash-leaved maple, and maple ash are among its common names in the United States. In Canada it is commonly known as Manitoba maple and occasionally as elf maple.{{cite web |date=2007-02-22 |title=Community trees of the Prairie provinces |url=http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/index/commtreesprairies/manitobamaple |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518181300/http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/index/commtreesprairies/manitobamaple |archive-date=2008-05-18 |website=Natural Resources Canada}} In the British Isles it is known as box elder{{cite web |title=''Acer negundo'' |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/217/Acer-negundo/Details |access-date=26 September 2019 |website=www.rhs.org |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society}} or ashleaf maple.{{BSBI 2007|access-date=2014-10-17}} In [Russia](/source/Russia) it is known as American maple ({{langx|ru|америка́нский клён|amerikansky klyon}}) as well as ash-leaf maple ({{langx|ru|клён ясенели́стный|klyon yasenelistny}}). Because of its leaflets' superficial similarity to those of [poison ivy](/source/poison_ivy), ''Acer negundo'' saplings are often mistaken for the allergenic plant. While both poison ivy and ''Acer negundo'' have compound leaves composed of three [leaflets](/source/Leaflet_(botany)) with ragged edges, ''Acer negundo'' exhibits an opposite branching pattern, as opposed to the alternating pattern of poison ivy.{{Citation |title=Trees with Don Leopold - boxelder | date=21 October 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ashA1gpMhqE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/ashA1gpMhqE |language=en |access-date=2021-06-19 |archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}} Like poison ivy, ''Acer negundo'' is also a noted [riparian](/source/Riparian_zone) species, and can often be found growing along riverbeds and in wet soils generally. For all these reasons, and despite their obvious differences, ''Acer negundo'' is sometimes referred to informally as the poison ivy tree.{{Citation |title=Tree Talk: Boxelder | date=8 May 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YytY7XdAr6Q |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/YytY7XdAr6Q |language=en |access-date=2021-06-19 |archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}} ===Subspecies=== ''Acer negundo'' is often divided into three or more subspecies, some of which were originally described as separate species. These are:[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:781412-1 ''Acer negundo'' L.] ''Plants of the World Online'', Kew Science. Accessed 26 January 2023 * ''Acer negundo'' subsp. ''negundo'', native from the [Atlantic Coast](/source/East_Coast_of_the_United_States) to the Rocky Mountains. * ''Acer negundo'' subsp. ''interior'' (Britton) Sarg., with more leaf serration than the [nominate subspecies](/source/nominate_subspecies) and a more [matte](/source/Gloss_(material_appearance)) leaf surface, is native from [Saskatchewan](/source/Saskatchewan) to [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico), between the eastern and western subspecies. * ''Acer negundo'' var. ''arizonicum'' Sarg. is native to Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. * ''Acer negundo'' subsp. ''californicum'' (Torr. & A.Gray) Sarg., with larger leaves with a velvety texture, is found in parts of [California](/source/California). * ''Acer negundo'' subsp. ''mexicanum'' (DC.) Wesm. is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. * ''Acer negundo'' var. ''texanum'' Pax is native to the southern United States from Virginia to New Mexico, and to northeastern Mexico. * ''Acer negundo'' var. ''violaceum'' (Booth ex Loudon) H.Jaeger is native to the Northeastern coastal United States and to the northern interior United States from the Ohio Valley to the Columbia River basin. Some authors further subdivide ''A. negundo'' subsp. ''negundo'' into a number of regional varieties but these intergrade and their maintenance as distinct [taxa](/source/taxa) is disputed by many. Even the differences between recognized subspecies are probably a matter of gradient [speciation](/source/speciation).{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} ==Distribution and habitat== thumb|upright|''Acer negundo'' often grows alongside waterbodies. thumb|upright|Growing as a weed in pavement crack in Russia ''Acer negundo'' is native across much of the [United States](/source/United_States) (mostly in the east) and south-central [Canada](/source/Canada), and can be found as far south as [Guatemala](/source/Guatemala). [Box Elder County](/source/Box_Elder_County%2C_Utah), [Utah](/source/list_of_counties_in_Utah) is named for this tree,{{Cite web |title=Utah History Encyclopedia |url=https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/b/BOX_ELDER_COUNTY.shtml |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.uen.org}} as is the town of [Box Elder, South Dakota](/source/Box_Elder%2C_South_Dakota) Although native to [North America](/source/North_America), it is considered a weedy species in some areas, such as in parts of the [Northeastern United States](/source/Northeastern_United_States), and has increased greatly in these areas.Uva, R.H., J.C. Neal, and J.M. DiTomaso. 1997. Weeds of the Northeast. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, New York. In 1928, Joseph Illick, chief forester for the state of [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania), wrote in ''Pennsylvania Trees''{{Cite book |last=Illick |first=Joseph S. |url=https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniatree0000unse/page/374/mode/2up |title=Pennsylvania Trees |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters |year=1928 |edition=4th |location=[Harrisburg., Pa.] |page=203}} that box elder was "rare and localized" in the state. After [World War II](/source/World_War_II), box elder's rapid growth made it a popular landscaping tree in suburban housing developments despite its poor form, vulnerability to storm damage, and tendency to attract large numbers of [box elder bug](/source/box_elder_bug)s. Intentional cultivation has thus made the tree far more abundant than it once was.{{cn|date=March 2023}} It can quickly [colonize](/source/Colonisation_(biology)) both cultivated and uncultivated areas and the range is therefore expanding both in North America and elsewhere. In Europe where it was introduced in 1688 as a park tree it is able to spread quickly and is considered an invasive species in parts of Central Europe, including [Germany](/source/Germany), the [Czech Republic](/source/Czech_Republic), [Hungary](/source/Hungary), [Slovenia](/source/Slovenia), [Poland](/source/Poland) and Russia where it can form mass growth in lowlands, disturbed areas, and riparian biomes on calcareous soils. It has also become [naturalized](/source/naturalisation_(biology)) in eastern [China](/source/China), is listed as a pest [invasive species](/source/invasive_species) in some of the cooler areas of the [Australian continent](/source/Australian_continent), and is invasive in the [Rio de la Plata](/source/Rio_de_la_Plata) area.{{cite journal |last1=Passarelli |first1=L. M. |last2=Rolleri |first2=C. H. |last3=Ciciarelli |first3=M. d. l. M. |last4=Dedomenici |first4=A. C. |last5=González |first5=G. |title=Flora vascular de humedales permanentes y transitorios bonaerenses (Buenos Aires, Argentina) |journal=Botánica Complutensis |date=2014 |volume=38 |page=143 |doi=10.5209/rev-BOCM.2014.v38.45782 |doi-broken-date=23 October 2025 |url=https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/BOCM/article/view/45782 |access-date=6 December 2024}} This species prefers bright sunlight. It often grows on flood plains and other disturbed areas with ample water supply, such as [riparian](/source/riparian) habitats.{{cite book |last1=Wilhelm |first1=Gerould |last2=Rericha |first2=Laura |date=2017 |title=Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis |publisher=Indiana Academy of Sciences}} Human influence has greatly favored this species; it grows around houses and in hedges, as well as on [disturbed ground](/source/disturbed_ground) and vacant lots. ==Ecology== thumb|Boxelder bugs (''Boisea trivittata'') feed on ''Acer negundo'' Several [bird](/source/bird)s and some [squirrel](/source/squirrel)s feed on the seeds. The [evening grosbeak](/source/evening_grosbeak) uses them extensively.{{Cite book|last=DeGraaf|first=Richard M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3Cx1hB-TeQC|title=Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Attracting Birds|date=2002|publisher=UPNE|isbn=978-1-58465-215-1|language=en}} The [boxelder bug](/source/boxelder_bug) (''Boisea trivittata'') lays its [egg](/source/egg)s on all maples, but prefers this species, clustering the eggs in bark crevices. The rosy maple moth (''[Dryocampa rubicunda](/source/Dryocampa_rubicunda)'') also lays its eggs on the leaves of maple trees, including ''Acer negundo''. The larvae feed on the leaves, and in very dense populations can cause defoliation.{{Cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dryocampa_rubicunda/|title=Dryocampa rubicunda (rosy maple moth)|website=Animal Diversity Web|language=en|access-date=2017-11-14}} Small [gall](/source/gall)s are formed on the leaves by a bladder mite, ''[Aceria negundi](/source/Aceria_negundi)''. A gall midge, ''[Contarinia negundinis](/source/Contarinia_negundinis)'' joins and enlarges the galls of ''Aceria negundi''. The midge sometimes creates a separate, tubular gall on the midrib or veins of the undersides of the leaves. The cottony maple leaf scale, ''[Pulvinaria acericola](/source/Pulvinaria_acericola)'', occurs on the foliage of ''Acer negundo''. A leaf spot fungus, ''[Septoria negundinis](/source/Septoria_negundinis)'' creates black-ringed lesions on the leaves. == Cultivation == thumb|'Variegatum' cultivar with white-margined leaves Although its weak wood, irregular form, and prolific seeding might make it seem like a poor choice for a landscape tree, ''A. negundo'' is one of the most common maples in cultivation. Long-term success has been noted as far north as [Yellowknife](/source/Yellowknife).{{cite web | url=https://inaturalist.ca/observations/16056124 | title=Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo) | date=31 August 2018 }} Many [cultivar](/source/cultivar)s have been developed, such as: * 'Auratum' – yellowish leaves with smooth undersides * 'Aureomarginatum' – creamy yellow leaf margins * 'Baron' – Hardier & seedless variety * 'Elegans' – distinctively convex leaves * 'Flamingo' – pink and white [variegation](/source/variegation) (very popular) * ['Pendulum'](/source/Acer_negundo_'Pendulum') – with weeping branches. * 'Variegatum' – creamy white leaf margins * 'Violaceum' – younger shoots and branches have bluish color ==Toxicity== A [protoxin](/source/protoxin) present in the seeds of ''Acer negundo'', [hypoglycin A](/source/hypoglycin_A), has been identified as a major risk factor for, and possibly the cause of, a disease in horses, [seasonal pasture myopathy](/source/seasonal_pasture_myopathy) (SPM). SPM is an equine neurological disease which occurs seasonally in certain areas of North America and Europe, with symptoms including stiffness, difficulty walking or standing, dark urine and eventually breathing rapidly and becoming recumbent. Ingestion of sufficient quantities of box elder seeds or other parts of the plant results in breakdown of respiratory, postural, and cardiac muscles. The cause of SPM was unknown for centuries despite the disease being well known among affected areas and was only positively determined in the 21st century.{{Cite web |title=Seasonal pasture myopathy |url=https://cvm.msu.edu/research/faculty-research/valberg-laboratory/seasonal-pasture-myopathy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103160159/https://cvm.msu.edu/research/faculty-research/valberg-laboratory/seasonal-pasture-myopathy |archive-date=3 January 2018 |access-date=3 January 2018 |publisher=Michigan State University}}{{cite web |author=Anna Renier |title=Seasonal pasture myopathy cause identified |url=https://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/health/seasonal-pasture-myopathy-cause-identified/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127161146/http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/health/seasonal-pasture-myopathy-cause-identified/ |archive-date=2017-11-27 |access-date=2018-01-03 |publisher=University of Minnesota Extension}}{{Cite journal |last1=Valberg |first1=S.J. |last2=Sponseller |first2=B.T. |last3=Hegeman |first3=A.D. |last4=Earing |first4=J. |last5=Bender |first5=J.B. |last6=Martinson |first6=K.L. |last7=Patterson |first7=S.E. |last8=Sweetman |first8=L. |date=July 2013 |title=Seasonal pasture myopathy/atypical myopathy in North America associated with ingestion of hypoglycin A within seeds of the box elder tree |journal=Equine Veterinary Journal |language=en |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=419–426 |doi=10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00684.x |issn=2042-3306 |pmid=23167695|s2cid=206002430 |doi-access=free }} It is analogous to [Jamaican vomiting sickness](/source/Jamaican_vomiting_sickness) in humans, also caused by hypoglycin A. ''Acer negundo'' pollen, which is released in winter or spring (varying with latitude and elevation){{cite web |title=Box Elder, Ash-Leaf Maple (Acer negundo) |url=http://www.pollenlibrary.com/Local/Specie/Acer+negundo/in/Santa%20clara%20County/CA/ |website=PollenLibrary.com}} is a severe allergen. ==Uses== ===Wood=== thumb|Heartwood of ''Acer negundo'' with red stain Although its light, close-grained, soft wood is considered undesirable for most commercial uses, this tree has been considered as a source of wood fiber, for use in [fiberboard](/source/fiberboard).Maeglin & Ohmann (1973), pp. 360-361 There is also some commercial use of the tree for various decorative applications, such as turned items (bowls, stem-ware, pens). Such purposes generally use [burl](/source/burl) or injured wood, as the injured wood develops a red stain.Maeglin & Ohmann (1973), p. 360 The wood has been used for a variety of purposes by [Native Americans](/source/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas), such as by the [Navajo](/source/Navajo_people) to make tubes for [bellows](/source/bellows),Elmore, Francis H. (1944). ''Ethnobotany of the Navajo.'' Santa Fe, NM. School of American Research (p. 62) by the [Cheyenne](/source/Cheyenne) to make bowls,Hart, Jeffrey A. (1981). "The Ethnobotany of the Northern Cheyenne Indians of Montana." ''Journal of Ethnopharmacology'' 4:1–55 (p. 46). and by the native peoples of Montana who use the large trunk burls or knots to make bowls, dishes, drums, and pipe stems. The [Tewa](/source/Tewa) use the twigs as pipe stemsRobbins, W.W., J.P. Harrington and B. Freire-Marreco (1916). "Ethnobotany of the Tewa Indians." SI-BAE Bulletin #55 (p. 38). and the [Keres](/source/Keres_people) make the twigs into prayer sticks.Swank, George R. (1932). The Ethnobotany of the Acoma and Laguna Indians. University of New Mexico, M.A. Thesis (p. 24). The [Dakota people](/source/Dakota_people) and the [Omaha people](/source/Omaha_people)Gilmore, Melvin R. (1913). "A Study in the Ethnobotany of the Omaha Indians." ''Nebraska State Historical Society Collections'' 17:314–57. (p. 336). make the wood into [charcoal](/source/charcoal), which is used in ceremonial painting and tattooing. The [Kiowa](/source/Kiowa) burn the wood in the altar fire during the [peyote](/source/peyote) ceremony.Vestal, Paul A. and Richard Evans Schultes (1939). The Economic Botany of the Kiowa Indians. Cambridge MA. Botanical Museum of Harvard University (p. 40) ''Acer negundo'' was identified as the material used in the oldest extant wood flutes from the Americas. The flutes, excavated by [Earl H. Morris](/source/Earl_H._Morris) in 1931 in Northeastern Arizona, have been dated to 620–670 CE.{{cite web |url=http://flutopedia.com/brokenflutecave.htm |title=Anasazi Flutes from the Broken Flute Cave |author=Clint Goss |year=2011 |access-date=2011-10-18}} ===Medicinal use=== ''Acer negundo'' has been used by Native Americans for several medicinal purposes. The [Cheyenne](/source/Cheyenne) burn the wood as incense for making spiritual medicines,Hart, Jeff (1992). ''Montana Native Plants and Early Peoples.'' Helena. Montana Historical Society Press (p. 4) and during [Sun Dance](/source/Sun_Dance) ceremonies. The [Meskwaki](/source/Meskwaki) use a [decoction](/source/decoction) of the inner bark as an [emetic](/source/emetic),Smith, Huron H. (1928). "Ethnobotany of the Meskwaki Indians." ''Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee'' 4:175–326 (p. 200)' and the [Ojibwe](/source/Ojibwe) use an [infusion](/source/infusion) of the inner bark for the same purpose.Smith, Huron H. (1932). "Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians." ''Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee'' 4:327–525 (p. 353) ===As food=== The sap has been used to make syrup by Native Americans, including the [Dakota](/source/Dakota_people),Gilmore, Melvin R. (1913). "Some Native Nebraska Plants With Their Uses by the Dakota." ''Nebraska State Historical Society Collections'' 17:358–70 (p. 366) [Omaha](/source/Omaha),Gilmore, Melvin R. (1913). "A Study in the Ethnobotany of the Omaha Indians." ''Nebraska State Historical Society Collections'' 17:314–57. (p. 329).Gilmore, Melvin R. (1919). "Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region." SI-BAE Annual Report #33 (p. 101) [Pawnee](/source/Pawnee_people), [Ponca](/source/Ponca), [Winnebago](/source/Ho-Chunk), [Cree](/source/Cree),Johnston, Alex (1987). ''Plants and the Blackfoot.'' Lethbridge, Alberta. Lethbridge Historical Society (p. 44). [Sioux](/source/Sioux),Blankinship, J. W. (1905). "Native Economic Plants of Montana." Bozeman. Montana Agricultural College Experimental Station, Bulletin 56 (p. 16) and the indigenous people of [Montana](/source/Montana). The [Chiricahua](/source/Chiricahua) and [Mescalero](/source/Mescalero) [Apache](/source/Apache) dry scrapings of the inner bark and keep it as winter food, and they also boil the inner bark until sugar crystallizes out of it.Castetter, Edward F. and M. E. Opler (1936). "Ethnobiological Studies in the American Southwest III. The Ethnobiology of the Chiricahua and Mescalero Apache." ''University of New Mexico Bulletin'' 4(5):1–63 (p. 44). The [Cheyenne](/source/Cheyenne) mix the boiled sap with shavings from the inner sides of animal hides and eat them as candy.Hart, Jeffrey A. (1981). "The Ethnobotany of the Northern Cheyenne Indians of Montana." ''Journal of Ethnopharmacology'' 4:1–55 (p. 13). The [Ojibwe](/source/Ojibwe) mix the sap with that of the [sugar maple](/source/sugar_maple) and drink it as a beverage.Smith, Huron H. (1932). "Ethnobotany of the Ojibwe Indians." ''Bulletin of the Public Museum of Milwaukee'' 4:327–525 (p. 394). == Citations == {{Reflist}} == General and cited references == * {{cite journal|last=Maeglin|first=Robert R. |author2=Lewis F. Ohmann|title=Boxelder (''Acer negundo''): A Review and Commentary|year=1973|journal=Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club|volume=100|issue=6|pages=357–363|doi=10.2307/2484104|jstor=2484104}} * Philips, Roger. ''Trees of North America and Europe''. New York: Random House. {{ISBN|0-394-50259-0}}, 1979. ==External links== {{Commons}} {{Wiktionary|Manitoba maple}} * [https://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/forest/htmls/trees/A-negundo.html ''Acer negundo'' facts and diagnostic traits] * [http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/acer-negundo-boxelder-native-range-map.php Interactive Distribution Map of ''Acer negundo''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710192404/http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/acer-negundo-boxelder-native-range-map.php |date=2010-07-10 }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060828022614/http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/acne2.htm ''Acer negundo'' images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu] {{Taxonbar|from=Q161166}} {{Authority control}} negundo Category:Dioecious plants Category:Garden plants of North America Category:Least concern flora of the United States Category:Ornamental trees Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Plants used in Native American cuisine Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Category:Trees of Central America Category:Trees of Mediterranean climate Category:Trees of Northern America Category:Trees of humid continental climate Category:Trees of temperate climates --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Acer negundo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_negundo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_negundo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.